The Musikfest app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch will make its debut for the 2012 festival, ArtsQuest announced. Muskifest, the country's largest free outdoor music festival, runs Aug. 3-12 this year. More than 500 performances will take place during the event's 10-day run, with free music on 14 of the festival's 15 stages.

The app, now available from the Apple App Store, was developed through a partnership between Trifecta Technologies of Allentown and ArtsQuest.

Among the many features included in the app are:

• Musical performance schedules by date and venue
• Biographies for more than 300 performers
• Festival updates in real time
• Search options so patrons can look for their favorite music and vendors
• A comprehensive, interactive festival map
• Parking and general festival information
• Contests, promotions and discounts available only to app users

“Our patrons have been demanding that we have a Musikfest app,” ArtsQuest Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Curt Mosel said in a news release. “We didn’t want to create an app until we were confident we could have a really good product, and now we have a great one."

“We believe the features and functionality of this app will make it extremely easy for people to discover everything that’s going on at the festival, plus the app is great for sharing content,” he added.

By registering for the Musikfest app, users can highlight their favorite vendors and performers, and create personalized schedules they can share with other mobile app users. 

The app’s built-in GPS feature also provides walking distances between all Musikfest venues, as well as real-time information on performances taking place in the immediate area, no matter where a person is on the festival grounds.

“We're so glad that developing this app gave us the opportunity to partner with ArtsQuest. It's an honor to play a small part in the amazing festival they put on year after year,” said Doug Pelletier, president and founder of Trifecta Technologies.

“We're very excited about the new dimension the Musikfest app adds to the festival experience and we're confident that every attendee will find something that appeals to them,” he added.

The Musikfest app is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and can be downloaded at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/musikfest/id541330518?ls=1&mt=8.